Seasnake's Photos

Page I

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Two HSL-31 student aircrewmen. (L) unk., (R) Wild Bill Martinie.

Martinie completed a tour at HSL-33 and got out but quickly returned to active duty. Killed by sharks following an accident on an SH-2F similar to the one he is leaning on here. Wonderful guy with a great sense of humor, sadly missed within our small community.

AW1 (AW) Randy Frasier, last H-2 Aircrew Rep at CASWWP, with the LAMPS Mk 1 memorial plaque during its dedication at NAS Pensacola in 1999.

The plaque lists only crewmen who perished while flying in the SH-2. 77 names, 77 airmen, 77 friends that will not be forgotten.

Aircrew wings were not easily earned and many crewmen had "blood wings" (metal insignias actually "pounded" into place on their chests by friends). These marks are often little divots - I had mine covered up with a tattoo.

People have asked how close Hinds came to us. Close enough for us to hear over the sound of our own rotors/engines. Although this is a photo taken from our ship at long focal length, it still gives a good feeling for the type of games we used to engage in.

My favorite horse, Camel, at NAS Memphis. Story should be on the website someplace.

SH-2F overflies a Romeo SS submarine (either Russian or North Korean) transiting down the Sea of Japan in April 1985. Crewman was AW3 Danny Davis, now a El Paso police officer.

The "pointy end" of a nuclear aircraft carrier, as seen from the "angle-deck" (portion of the flight deck that is not aligned with the keel of the ship - it goes off at about a 10-degree angle, hence its name). This is USS Eisenhower CVN-69, my first ship, somewhere at sea in 1979 or 1980.

Typical Navy haircut and attitude - - 1979, aboard "Ike". At this time, I served as a Plane Captain in VS-31 "Topcats", maintaining S-3A Viking jets.

This is why I joined the Navy. Saw Bridges at Toko Ri" (the 1960s version of "Top Gun") when I was ten years old and told my mom I was going to be a Helicopter Rescue Swimmer when I grew up, like a guy in that movie. Loved every minute of it.

This was taken on the day the Space Shuttle "Challenger" exploded. We were on a training flight over the San Diego / Mexico border.